After the Mercedes GL-based SUV, this convertible seems like yet another attempt by Maybach to make itself look ridiculous. Once again, comparisons will be drawn between the German carmaker’s offering and the Rolls Royce. And once again there is no doubt that the British flying lady will triumph.
It is now urgent that Mercedes pays careful attention to Maybach. If they do not, the latter is in danger of becoming the new Saab or Lancia.
Let us start the last day of the working week by watching a video featuring Captain Slow and the first supercar, the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.
Here are the first official picture of the C63 AMG and the least you can say is that it is a naughty car! With the C Class, Mercedes makes its revolution, more so than with any past models. The C63 AMG is aggressive and straight to the point, making use of the V8 6.2 litre already used in the bigger AMGs.
But, like good German girl, the C 63 AMG respects the hierarchy and offers less power than her elder sisters. Instead of 500 bhp/507 hp, the atmospheric engine produces 450 bhp/457 hp at 6800 rpm. That is still 30 bhp/30 hp more than the Audi RS4 and Bmw M3. The torque is in the same vein with 442 lb ft/600 Nm at 6000 rpm.
With such an engine, the C63 AMG runs 0-60mph in 4.5s, 0.3s less than its rivals but like them is still limited at 155 mph. The eight-cylinder is coupled with a seven speed automatic gearbox, dubbed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic. The gearbox has three driving modes: Sport, Comfort and Manual.
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Here are some renderings of the next Mercedes E-Class due to be launched in 2009, made by Auto Motor und Sport magazine. Known internally as the W212, the saloon will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva motor show while the estate will be launched at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show.
For Mercedes the challenge is to make the E-Class more appealing than the current model without encroaching upon the CLS battlefield, the four door coupé segment. The car will probably be a mix of a Mercedes C-Class and Mercedes CLS. Like the CLS , it will have a curved roof and will draw inspiration from the C-Class’ general design. However it will differentiate itself from both models by adopting unique headlamps. Say goodbye to the circular headlamps used by the curent model and say hello to new angular headlamps.
On the inside, it is reported that the C-Class will inherit a dashboard that mixes the luxury of the S-Class and the sportiness of the C-Class.
Under the hood, the car will get the usual family engine range made up of V6 and V8 engines. Expect to see the future E63 AMG reach 542 bhp/550 hp.
These are the first pictures of the future Mercedes coupe based on the platform of the next-generation SL roadster. Dubbed “SLC”, the car would be powered by the 6.2 litre V8 engine that equips all top of the range AMGs. With an ouput of more than 500 bhp in current models, the SLC would be able to compete with BMW and Audi. The latter is planning to release a high-power V10 R8 coupe later in the year.
The SLC is also an attempt to get rid of the SLR whose sales are not meeting expectations according to some rumours. Unlike the SLR, the SLC is being developed by HWA. Quite unknown, HWA was founded by Hans-Werner Aufrecht who also co-founded 40 years ago. The company is in charge of Mercedes’ entry in DTM.
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Source: Winding Road
The German carmaker would reveal up to 18 new green models at the next Frankfurt motorshow according to Auto, Motor und Sport.
Thanks to the British car magazine, Autocar, we know that Mercedes-Benz will show a hybrid version of the S-Class based on the Vision S350 Direct Hybrid concept car that was revealed at the same motorshow two years ago. In opposition to Lexus that put a V8 engine in its flagship, the LS600h, Mercedes-Benz would use the existing V6 3.5 litre 268 bhp at which a small electric engine would be added. Less powerful than the LS600h, the hybrid S-Class would have 300 bhp but would get a S400 or S450 label to justify an expensive price tag.
Mercedes-Benz will also display an incredible S-Class equipped with a smal 4 cylinders 2.2 litres engine. This Bluetec diesl engine produces 201 bhp and meets Euro6 requirements due in 2014. According to Auto, Motor und Sport, the Stuttgart’s brand would also show an E-Class equipped witht the same engine and a C-Class that would make more than 50 mpg.
The last surprise would come from a hydrogen powered concept car based on the B Class that would be produced at 150 units in 2010.
Mercedes might launch a small roadster in 2011. The new toy would compete with the Mazda MX5 and potentially also the BMW Z2 and Lancia Fulvia. It is not the first time that such a project has been mentioned, but the technical choices made for the next A-Class are more favorable to a convertible body than in the past.
Indeed, the future small Mercedes will share components with the new C-Class: rear wheel drive and front engines. The next A-Class will also lose the patented “Sandwich“ floor. Apart from its high production cost, this particular floor does not allow Mercedes to extend the range as easily as BMW is able to with the 1-Series. Today a small roadster would require a specific platform, making it hard to break-even with a low production figure.
Mercedes revealed a concept car called SLA at the 2000 Detroit Motor Show. 148“ long, it took inspiration from the SLR roadster but with an astonishing bonnet and surprising front lights. The rear-end was more conventional with a luggage carrier. Inside the layout was minimalistic: a wheel, a gearstick and a few buttons. The SLA had a 1.9 litre engine with an modest output of 123 bhp.
Source: Autozeitung
The website worldcarfans.com revealed a video of the next C-Class estate earlier today. It should appear officially at the Frankfurt motor show, six months after the sedan, as is the common practice for Mercedes.
Like its predecessor, the estate is expected to be fitted with the same type of engines used in the sedan but is likely to be sportier than the current model.
Maybach has lost the first round, but not the match. Though the 57/62 did not live up to its expections, the brand image exists and is well known around the world thanks to the Exelero and Jay-Z. The German super-luxury manufacturer is currently working on three projects according to an insider: an SUV based on the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, a 4-door coupe like the CLS but for the very wealthy and a 4-seat coupe like the impressive Exelero.
Maybach seems to have resigned itself to testing every possibility and an SUV is one of them. Its competitors have considered doing the same but gave up the idea due to their lack of presence on the SUV market. However, even though Maybach itself also currently has no presence on this market, its parent company, Mercedes-Benz has a long history with the G Class. Despite being almost 30 years old, the G-Class is still a favourite among wealthy buyers. The move to producing a Maybach SUV would seem to be a natural progression.
Considered as a transition model, it would be a windfall for the subsidiary. Built on the GL platform, it would be cheap to manufacture but sold at a high price. Obviously the GL would be modified. It would receive a Maybach grille, new bumpers and a revised rear-end. The interior would get top-grade leather, luxury wooden panels and rear lounge seats like those in the 57/62. The car would be sold outside Europe and only 1,500 would be made every year.
The second – and favourite – project is a smaller limousine that would compete with the baby Rolls. Both manufacturers would meet for round two. Maybach would like to take advantage of the Mercedes CLS-Class success to launch a luxury 4-door coupe. Dubbed super-CLS, the limousine would be based on the S-Class, but designers would not repeat the mistake they made with the 57/62, often known as the über S-Class. The smaller Maybach would have its own design and it is said that the car would include exterior lights to accentuate certain body contours. It would also reuse the 5.5-litre turbo V-12 from the S-Class. The car would be sold at a price of around £150,000.
The last project would be a production model of the flamboyant Exelero, the success of which impressed Maybach’s decision-makers. They gave the green light to product planners for a possible production model. However, no more information is currently available about this project, leaving market analysts guessing about the next move of this struggling carmaker.
The success of the Porsche Cayenne didn’t exactly please Mercedez-Benz. So the supervisory board decided to mix the R-Class and the M-Class and give birth to the new GL. Like the R-Class whose platform it uses, the GL is a bit closer to an Audi Q7 or Chevrolet Tahoe than a Porsche Cayenne: 200 inches long, 75.5 inches wide and 71.2 inches high. These dimensions can accomodate up to seven passengers at a level of comfort similar to the R-Class. Inside there is enough room for six Schwarzeneggers -a measure of roominess on the American market- but if you want more space for the luggage compartment, the individual rear seats can be stowed -of course- at the push of a button, either individually or in tandem to provide a capacity of 1240 litres. If you need more capacity, you can still the second row of seats to reach 2300 litres.
From the M-Class, it borrows the familiar SUV look (but boxier in order to be reminiscent of the G-Class) and a system derived from the 4Matic coupled with the family air suspension, Airmatic. With the G-Class badge, the GL off-road performances are under pressure. The G-Class was ugly but it was the best when you needed to drive in the mud. With its wheelbase of 120.8 inches, even with the help of the Airmatic suspension, some off-road sections might prove difficult to pass in a GL. But when we know that almost none of the SUV drivers ever use it outside the cities, it’s a minor detail.
If you want to compete with the Audi Q7 or Porsche Cayenne – the American SUVs are out of the race – you need powerful engines. Mercedes offers 4 engines, two V8 gasolines, one V6 and one V8 diesels. The top of the range labeled GL 500 is equipped with the V8 5.5 litre from the S-Class which develops 388 bhp whereas the second V8 unit is a new engine derived from the 5.5 litre which has a cylinder unit of 4.6 litre and develops 340 bhp. Diesel units are the same type, big and full of torque: alongside the V6 labeled GL 320 CDI of 224 bhp, a 4.0 litre V8 is available with an output of 306 bhp and an impressive torque of 516 Lb-Ft.
